Spreading Shadow
by nosrenos
Summary: Shadak, master of the White Hand and servant of Bane, abandons Imoen and begins his plans for domination and power in Amn.  In this he is assited by his future lover, Bodhi.
1. Chapter 1:  An Annoying Burden

Cold Emotions

"You dare attack me here? Do you even know who you face?" Irenicus mulled the words over, surprisingly calm for a man faced with five attackers. Suddenly, his face contorted with rage and he roared "You will suffer, you will all suffer!"

The black cloaked thieves ran forward, three had knives and short swords, two had bows. Irenicus launched a Flesh to Stone spell and incinerated the remaining attackers.

In a frighteningly leisurely manner, he disintegrated the remaining foe. The bland emotionless expression returned to his masked face as he swung towards the two figures standing on a heap of rubble. "So god-child you have escaped, you are more perceptive than I had thought."

"You aren't going to torture us anymore!" Imoen's clear voice sounded as she readied herself for casting.

"Torture?" Irenicus wondered "Silly girl you don't understand what I'm doing do you?"

"We don't care what you are doing, let us go!" Imoen sounded desperate now, practically pleading with the mage.

"I won't let you leave, not when I'm so close to unlocking your power!" Irenicus said, a note of enthusiasm entered his voice.

"We don't want anything from you," Imoen replied and with a twirl of her arm, five magic missiles launched themselves at Irenicus. They dissipitated when they got an inch away from his flesh.

"Enough! I will no longer listen to the babbling of ignorant children!" Irenicus threw a Hold Person spell at the girl's companion and then knocked the girl off her feet with a concussion of energy," Irenicus stepped forward, eager to reclaim his prizes.

"This is any unsanctioned use of magical energy," A voice boomed, dozens of portals opened and grey cowled wizards, stepped out.

"All involved will be held," A deeper voice broke in "This disturbance is over!"

Irenicus still kept his icy demeanor and said "Must I be interrupted at every turn, enough of this!" The Cowled Wizards and Irenicus began to cast spells of amazing power. But, it was clear that Irenicus was their superior. They lay dead now, some bloody chunks of meat, others will barely a scratch.

Five more teleported in, and Irenicus readied another spell.

"This mage's power is immense! We must overcome him quickly," Clearly, the second wave had seen Irenicus' earlier slaughter of their fellows.

"Enough, I haven't the time for this!" Irenicus said tiredly, as if he had an urgent appointment and the wizards were annoying delays.

"You will cease your spell casting and come with us!" This voice lacked the authority of its predecessors.

"Your pathetic magics are useless, let this end!" Irenicus sounded threatening, and several of the Cowled Wizards began to tremble.

"Even if we fall our numbers are many, you will be overwhelmed," The same voice stated. Irenicus' mask twisted into a mockery of thought. The mask's features relaxed.

"Very well mageling, you may take me in but you will take the girl as well!" Irenicus said. The Cowled Wizard shivered but nodded his assent.

"What? No, but I've done nothing wrong!" Imoen screamed in despair.

"You have been involved in Illegal use of magic, you will come with us," Another wizard replied coldly

"No help me please!" Imoen pleaded with her frozen companion. He couldn't reply.

Once the wizards and Irenicus had departed, Imoen's Held companion relaxed his posture and sat heavily down amidst the debris.

Hundreds of people were converging on the crater and I knew I had to leave before Soldiers arrived. I picked myself up from the rubble and dusted my black and silver mage robes. I turned from the site and limped slowly into the colorful scenery of the City of coin.


	2. Chapter 2: Apprentices

**AN: For the Main Character's voice, just imagine a sinister English accent, if you can't imagine one then watch a movie with one (The new Sherlock Holmes, Pirates of the Carribean,etc). Also, for the purposes of this tale, think of Shadak's class as a Mage/Thief/Cleric, I know, it doesn't exist, but you have to believe!**

I walked through the maze of vendor's stalls, tents and other pedestrians; it was utter chaos and terrifying to a gentle country-bred man. To me, it was mere noise. In the distance, I could see the towering circus tent. I shrugged mentally and began a lazy walk towards it. On my way, I was accosted by half a dozen tradesmen, three whores, two pickpockets (whose fingers I burnt off)

I was extremely relaxed, despite the recent events. Imoen was an annoying weakling, she deserved what she got, her arrest by the cowled men was a larger bonus, and she wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

Another reason for my comfort was the Dryads. I had found their acorns, but demanded a service or at least a trade. I was too experienced to do someone a favor. They had offered me the only thing they had; afterwards, I could see why Irenicus had chosen them. Their large busty forms, mesmerizing features and as Edwin would have put it "erotic talents rivaling my own" made the experience amazing, I had been tempted to ask for more, but had decided against it.

I smiled for several seconds, Edwin's death had been satisfying, and he had betrayed me and attempted to serve me up to his Red Wizard friends. A mistake he had never repeated.

I had reached the entrance to the circus. A single guard stood in front of the tent flap. He stepped into my path and opened his mouth to speak. I swept him aside with a gust of wind and walked into the tent unchallenged.

The inside of the tent was to say the least spectacular and quite a surprise. I was on a narrow walkway, and the tent flap had disappeared. I limped forward and soon an extravagantly dressed figure floated into sight.

He had deeply tanned skin, with ridiculously sized muscles and a comical moustache.

"Human," He said in a voice that reminded me of thunder "A riddle I have for thee to pass by me!"

"Or?"

"You shall be tossed into there,"

"Ask your question," I said softly

"The rich have need of it, the poor have it and if you eat it you shall die, what am I?" He boomed. I pretended to think for several seconds.

"Nothing is what you are," I replied too quietly for the genie to make out the words so he moved closer to me "So it is logical for you to ask a question whose answer is nothing," The genie inclined his head and nodded "and Nothing" I continued "Is what you will remain," The genie's expression changed from smug to outraged. He went for his scimitar hanging loosely from his belt.

He was faster than any foe I had fought; even my ex-brother Sarevok would have been caught off guard, his magical sword slashed through the air like some avenging bolt of an angry God, but his jeweled blade failed to penetrate the black sphere surrounding my body. His reaction was comical, obviously he had either never fought before, or his enemies had never lasted more than two seconds.

My response was only a millisecond behind, my incantation was like a single long word, and within a moment the genie was being slowly squashed to death by three silver bands. I leant forward and retrieved his jeweled scimitar, and put it in my bag of holding. Spare money never hurt, if nobody wanted it, I would strip it of its magic and endow my robes with more protections.

After the death of the bridge's "guardian", crossing it was an easy task, and after an hour had passed, a huge dome appeared. I entered through its ostentatious archway and froze, when I saw what awaited me.

A huge ogre, easily 3 meters tall was running at me, launching off dozens off spells at a rate that was surprising. Normally ogres weren't magically skilled. They could cast some nasty spells but not of this caliber. But, I was Shadak, Slayer of Sarevok, Lord of the White Hand, and Shadow of the Night.

I immediately began casting, and when the ogre's spells did eventually reach me, their effectiveness was greatly reduced by my defenses. The ogre paused and shook its head, as if trying to dislodge a troublesome thought.

I took advantage of its momentary distraction to cast an Earthquake Spell, the bridge began to tremble and shake. The ogre was unlucky and fell, striking it's head on a huge pillar. I floated over to its motionless corpse and caused fire to erupt around my hands, preparing to turn the ogre into ash.

I suddenly felt a jolt, and I cast a True Sight spell. The spell revealed nothing, and I prepared for the execution. I felt it again; I dispelled my Burning Hands spell and put my cool palms on the ogre's forehead, and flooded its body with dispelling magic. Barely a second after my magic had entered the ogre's body did powerful defenses rise up; I pushed them aside as a truculent toddler would a boring toy.

The spell on the ogre snapped like an elastic band brought back too far, and the monster was surrounded by blue light, almost blinding my dark-accustomed eyes. When the light left, the ogre was no longer there. Instead, a beautiful Elf girl lay there breathing lightly, she had long honeysuckle blond hair and wide blue eyes. Her ears were slightly larger and pointed than my own, but she was a true beauty.

I turned and left her, she was an average mage and could be an interesting apprentice and a beautiful lover, but she was an Elf, and I had turned my back on my Race long ago. I entered the dome.

The inside was decorated just like the rest of this peculiar place, with too little lighting, an extravagant amount of Gold and purple. Across the room, was a naked woman, a Human with long Raven-Black hair and beauty that could be matched with any Racial Standard of: Stunning. I approached her, and she looked at me as if I were an expected guest who is late for an important gathering.

"I am here to Serve," She said, in a low sensual voice "Kalah's blessings upon thee traveler. He watches you and challenges you. Beware for his wrath is dire!"

"Hmmm, fascinating," I replied coldly "The sheer amount of advertising they have at these things. And pray tell who is this Kalah? A crack-pot wizard with a Superiority complex, a warrior who has taken too many bumps to the head, or some horrible abomination against the Gods?"

"Foolish Traveler, continue forwards and you will see that Kalah is the One truth, he is there!" Her eyes rolled back into her head and she disappeared in a puff of smoke. A large black door-shaped hole materialized in the wall and I continued forward, right into the arms of a werewolf.

It howled and swiped at me with its dagger long claws and had it been real, I would be dead. But, I was not even moved. Of course. I thought. Illusions and tricks seem to be Kalah's modus operandi, but he would have a few real ones mixed amongst the fakes.

I cast a Soul-Steal spell, a dozen of the hundred werewolves running at me dropped dead. So, now the only ones left were illusions and couldn't hurt me. They charged at me, and a macabre comedy ensued with them growing more and more frustrated, with every swipe, and I sitting there through a ravaging that would have wiped out an army.

After at least ten minutes of the nonsense the werewolves faded into nothing, and another Genie appeared. He was an exact replica of his dead fellow. He bowed to me and laughed.

"Human, that was most amusing; you are ready to have an audience with Him, Kalah, the true One,"

"Take me to him, now," The genie bowed and the world disappeared in a blinding flash. When my eyes were once again usable, I was in a throne room, with enough gold and furs to bankrupt Amn itself. Sitting on the throne, flanked by six Shadow Wolves sat an ogre, one that was far larger than the illusion of the Elf girl.

"So, you are here at last, what a shame the circus has to end, but the final show has begun and the ringmaster has entered," He crooned in a sweet voice "At him my shadows," He bellowed "Feast on their insides,"

Kalah turned away and cast Magic Missiles at a pile of green slime lying in the corner. The slime hissed in pain as the projectiles hit it. The first of the shadows reached me, it jaws were opened wide. I smacked it away from my head with a well-timed blow from my staff, and swung it around my head, warding off any further attacks. The shadows were confused with the lack of an early kill, and I used the time to surround myself with freezing blue flame.

They were wary now, but Kalah had seen their failure, I threw a lightning bolt at him. It connected and the entire throne-room went dark.

When my eyes finally opened, two small gnomes lay side by side. One I recognized, Quayle, an annoying but powerful wizard I had encountered in Baldur's Gate. The other I didn't recognize, but I could guess it was Kalah. His eyes opened and he spoke in a wheezy voice.

"Damn you," he croaked "I had everything, and you took it from me!" He was neared death; Quayle looked healthier, but badly burnt by his magic missile encounter. I knelt and healed both of them, sealing their wounds and undoing their burns. They both looked startled.

"Why did you heal me?" Kalah asked.

I knelt down and lifted him by the front of his robe.

"Because, you have power and skill Kalah, an apprentice of your caliber would be an asset to me. You have shown that you are a mighty illusionist but a poor battle-mage. I offer you the tuition you have always dreamt of, the respect you lust for, and the power of a god. Become my assistant, but I warn you should you betray me even Ao himself will not save you from my anger," I turned away and approached Quayle.

"What d'ya want," His nasal voice grated on my eardrums, and I made a supreme effort not to disintegrate him,"

"Did you hear the offer I extended to Kalah?" I pointed to the now smiling gnome.

"Yes," Quayle nodded. I smiled at him and steepled my fingers.

"In Baldur's Gate you impressed me with the ease you killed Safana, she was my assistant, I had trained her and you slew her inside 30 seconds,"

"You were watching?" Quayle looked surprised.

"Your companion told me all that transpired the rack and slow burning are marvelous devices for inducing conversation. But, I stray from my purpose; I offer you an apprenticeship with me, to learn all that I know and to have the ability to delve into magical secrets you have never dreamt of,"

Quayle blinked and his mouth opened and closed several times.

I stood up and helped Quayle to his feet and then I spoke.

"Do you Kalah and Quayle agree to become my apprentices and companions for the rest of your lives, to serve me no matter what venture I undertake! To obey me at all times and to work to the best of your abilities! Do you swear a Geas to this effect!

"Yes," They said in unison, large smiles on their faces. My magic spilled out in red loops and encircled my two apprentices. When the Geas was entrenched in their bodies, I stepped closer to them and muttered

"Now you may prove your loyalty to me, slay all inside this tent," I spoke in a hushed whisper "I recommend a mass-silence spell to stop their screams,"

My two apprentices swept gracefully into action, my smile never broke as I watched Kalah summon hordes of monsters, terrifying the people into action, striking at the monsters with their fists and making the visions become reality, Quayle's wrinkled face alight with demonic amusement as burning flame looped from his fingertips, they had followed my advice, and from the tent, only magical incantations emanated to the deaf ears of the unconscious guard.

I had my apprentices, and I had a new quest.


	3. Chapter 3: Of Secrets and Slaughter

**AN: I am omitting the Aerie-Quayle relationship; Quayle will regard Aerie as an annoying but unfortunate little girl. Whilst Shadak can seem to be slightly over-powered, Irenicus will be a match for him as will Firkraag and several others throughout the tale (the Shade-Lord, Yaga-Shura, Ellesime Amellysan, Balthazar, Keldorn, And Aran Linvail)**

Kalah barely managed to dodge the thief's dagger, Gaelan Bayle snarled and swiped again, this time there was no hope of him missing. An elegant hand caught Gaelan's wrist and pulled him off balance. Gaelan stumbled forward and the hand slammed into his Solar-Plexus, needless to say, Gaelan Bayle was unconscious.

I stood away from his unconscious body and Quayle soon joined me, he had a hand over a spreading red spot on his purple robes. I sighed slightly and raised my hands.

"Oh Great Bane, heal my servant's wounds so that you may dominate one day," I chanted the words and within a minute, red light covered Quayle's wounds and when they disappeared, Quayle was healed.

"Thank you, Master," He panted slightly as he withdrew his hand from his side.

"Lord Bane, grants me much power in return from my service, how were you wounded?"

"Two fools attacked me from the rear, one of them was called Corhvale or something," Quayle replied, I raised an eyebrow and turned towards Bayle. He lay on the ground with a grey face. I lifted a foot and pressed it on his groin. He squealed comically and after several seconds I lifted it.

"Who are you working for?" I asked softly, Bayle didn't reply, I loosed off a lighting bolt directly into his face, he screamed and Kalah jumped slightly. I shook my head in annoyance and Silenced Bayle.

"I don't…I don't know," He stammered slightly.

"How do you get your orders then?" He blanched for a moment and I lifted him up by his dirty shirt. I backhanded him viciously across the face and slammed him against the wall. I punched him three times… face…stomach…face again. Finally, I let him drop and I sank a violent kick in the side of his ribs. He tried to stand up; I stamped on his back and spat on his neck.

"You pathetic piece of human filth," I hissed "Your getting the living daylights beaten out of you by a poncy elf, weakling," I raised my foot once more.

"Wait," He pleaded, and tried to lift himself into a sitting position, Kalah and Quayle helped him and then stood by my side, waiting.

"A whore brings me my orders, she'll know, her name is Rose, Rose Bouquet,"

"How did they pay you?" He hesitated and my foot lashed out.

"They'd pay her for a month of service and she'd stay with me for that time, an elfin girl is hard to get, but easily worth it," His weak grin widened.

I felt a cold burn of anger; this filth had dared to touch an elf girl, the purest of all races on all of Toril? I began to chant, it was a low sinister prayer I had learnt from Lord Bane after my successful assassination of Sarevok, it caused the recipient of the Prayer to, be turned inside out and be set on fire. Within seconds, Gaelan Bayle was screaming, and he fled from the alley.

"Was tat wise master?" Kalah asked

"No water can put out that fire, and he shall burn for several hours before he dies,"

I walked out of the alley and into the slums. It was easily the most disgusting place I had ever ventured into, the cobblestone street was buried under the dung of humans and animals and it smelt awfully. The houses were hundreds of years old, and had been patched up for centuries; the entire sector was dominated by one building, the Copper Coronet.

I opened the door and stepped into the loud, obnoxious main room of the famous bar. There were dozens of men and women knocking back flagons of beer and groping the scantily clad waitresses. The owner, Lehtinan stood on a slightly raised platform behind a bar, beside him stood a massively overweight man with limpid eyes.

When my presence became known, the noise stopped for barely a second, and then re-began, obviously new arrivals were nothing new. I walked past several men passed out on a table, and then a surly ugly man yelled after me.

""Hey the dolly boy thinks he's a poncy wizard!" Several crude laughs followed, something hit me in the small of the back, and I turned slowly and looked at the man. He grinned slightly and I wanted to vomit, he had never heard of cleaning one's teeth obviously.

"Hold your tongue," I replied "Unless you want to lose it Churl,"

"Well," He licked his teeth and smiled. "It seems you want a fight, hey Surly" He yelled to a thin man standing near a pit. "I want to fight this dolly boy. Right, let's go," He walked to the pit and then jumped neatly into it. He stood and drew a rusty sword from his scabbard, his two friends stood on the edge and whooped and cheered. I sighed and smiled slightly.

"Quayle, Kalah, I won't be a minute, buy yourselves a drink," I followed my opponent into the ring.

"Let the fight begin," Surly groaned, bored with this often occurrence.

"Amalas…Amalas…Amalas!" His friends roared, hitting tables with their cheap weapons, upsetting waitresses' trays and generally causing mayhem. Quayle waved at me and sipped at a glass of wine, Kalah winked.

Amalas ran straight at me, his face was a mask of concentration and his sword would have hit me in the neck had my spell not been cast. A gleaming ray of light surrounded me, and Amalas' sword bounced off it, he stumbled backwards, knocked off balance. I drew my short sword and stepped out from my protections. Amalas grinned lopsidedly.

He swung his blade at my neck directly at my head, expecting an easy kill. My sword blocked its path. I thrust at is chest, he barely managed to stop my sword. Once more, my short-sword darted forward and this time, Amalas was too slow, he fell to the ground, holding his bleeding throat and whimpering, I pushed him to the ground and stamped viciously on his throat.

A rope ladder tumbled down the side of the pit and I climbed it, glad to be free of Amalas' pathetic presence.

"Now," I said "Let's have some fun,"


	4. Chapter 4: Pleasure and Destruction

**AN: I will very occasionally switch viewpoints in this story, for now is the time of the Gnomes! But, first some of Shadak. Kudos to who can tell me what book I "borrowed" the name from! **

It was several hours after the fight, and Amalas' pathetic body still rotted in the arena, but for me much had changed. I was standing before Lehtinan negotiating the price for the Djinn's scimitar.

"Well, hmmmm," Lehtinan mumbled "I'll give you 5000 for it, but not a penny less,"

"Six thousand, and not a penny less," I replied stone-faced.

"Five thousand five hundred, plus a little bonus for you,"

"And what is the bonus?" I asked as my interest was piqued.

"Well, upstairs, we do have companionship for suitable clients who are willing to pay the price for their," He licked his lips "pleasures," I pretended to consider it for several seconds.

"Done, but I want two girls," Lehtinan broke into a dirty grin.

"You will not regret it sir, some of the nobles visit here for the brothel alone!"

I shook my head and groaned slightly as I walked up the stairs to the brothel. A guard bowed and opened the door, once I stepped inside, it was closed behind me, and I was stuck in a land of Sin and Lust, heaven.

I passed several couples of young nobles and naked women before I finally met the madam of the room.

"Ah, good sir, do you wish to sample some of the erotic pleasures my girls can offer?" She raised an eyebrow and as if on cue, a woman stepped into view and showed off her considerable endowments, beautifully shown off by her lack of a top.

"I'm a friend of the owner, I get a free night with your two best girls," I replied slightly exaggerating Lehtinan's words. The madam bowed and whistled. Two girls stepped from a couch and each took one of my arms. Finally, my day was beginning to look up.

"Have a good night sir," The madam sniggered.

I was deaf to her words, as one of the girls was already kissing me, and the other was desperate to begin as well but had settled for rubbing my chest, either Lehtinan paid well, they found me attractive, or they truly enjoyed their job. Maybe all three were true.

Kalah smiled as he raised the oversized glass of beer to his lips and sipped at the frothy liquid, across the room, Quayle was arguing with a tall human with a big mace. The human had the mace in his hands, and Quayle looked dangerously close to frying the man, it was dangerous.

Kalah finished the glass and walked towards the arguing pair.

"Shadak, the slayer of Sarevok, leader of the White Hand is my master, I am telling you, you stupid slime!" Quayle squealed

"Hah, like the great man himself would take you on as his apprentice you lowly knave," the man said annoyed by Quayle's attitude. Quayle was now stamping his feet and the human was ignoring his tantrums, merely staring into the distance and stroking his beard.

Kalah whispered in Quayle's ear

"Who is he? And what is the White Hand?" Quayle looked into Kalah's eyes

"The White Hand is the master's thief guild, but it encompasses many more activities than simple thievery. Prostitution, barely any city does not have girls and brothels owned by him. Assassination and kidnapping, anyone who has reason to wish it, can hire one of his assassins. Corruption, if a man wants a position of power, he only needs to pay for it. The master is a truly influential man,"

"You didn't mention slavery,"

"The master it seems does not believe in that trade, he considers it unfair," Kalah laughed a high piercing sound.

"How do you know this?" Quayle demanded.

"A gnome, who keeps his ears open, will surely hear some juicy information. Now, my friend, I hear they do good turnips here!" Quayle's eyes practically went out on stalks and he started to drool.

"Turnips…good…Quayle…Want…Me!" Quayle turned and ran to the bar; he started to demolish a small bowl of turnips before finishing it and then throwing it at Lehtinan. Kalah sat back, sipped at a drink and ate several hundred gold coins worth of turnips. Hopefully, the master would be finished soon.

I flopped back against the soft pillows of the bed and grinned contentedly, within several seconds, I was joined by the gorgeous blonde twins I had hired for duration. One of them rolled over and I pressed my lips to hers, they were soft, cool, and inviting. Lehtinan obviously knew how to look after his merchandise. I ran my fingers over her lithe body and I paused at her breast. She shuddered slightly in pleasure as I nuzzled at it.

"You two really are good at your job, are you paid well?" I asked. One of the twins paused but the other I had been caressing dug her nails into my back and pressed her body against mine.

"It is not very day we receive an Elf, besides you are very handsome, I and my twin enjoy our work, it's the slaves I pity," That said, they said in unison.

"Now, you have around an hour left. What do you want to do?" I smiled,

"You know, what I want to do," Needless to say, I was soon engaged in a very pleasurable act but my mind was elsewhere. Slavery.

Several hours later, (the twins were very generous) I stepped into the bar; both of my apprentices were munching on turnips. I eased myself onto a stool and looked at them.

"Alright my friends," I whispered. "It is time for our first activity," They both exchanged looks.

"Tell us what to do," Quayle asked.

I told them.

After at least 500 gold pieces of turnip later, my apprentices and I began to stumble towards the guarded door leading to the backrooms. One of the guards stepped in front of us.

"Hey, you can't be goin' back 'ere without Lehtinan's permission," He placed his hand on his sword pommel. I didn't even bother to reply. I twirled a finger, and the guard was disintegrated in a flash of bright light.

I blasted the door off its hinges and walked lazily through the charred hole. Several more men ran at me, terrified expressions on their faces. I raised my arms and prepared to cast. The first man came quickly at me, his shield in front of him, and his sword ready to nip out and interrupt my spell-casting, ex-military perhaps.

Whatever he was, he had a small amount of training. His sword flashed out, but he was far too slow, by the time he had recovered, I had hooked my foot around his ankle and then tripped him. His friends began to follow his example, I began to chant, and a bolt of lightning flew from my fingertips. It ricocheted through the room and then flew down a corridor.

The guards were dead, and we journeyed deeper into the back rooms of the Copper Coronet. I never went into any of the other rooms, if I did, I was afraid I would never leave. Black Lotus and gambling were large inducements.

By now, dozens of guards were running at us through the narrow passageway. I threw a Fireball and a Stinking Cloud spell. Quayle and Kalah were still at my sides, and their magic had not yet been needed. I snapped my fingers, and the remaining guards disappeared and in their place floated golden dust.

We stepped through an archway, into a dark and pungent room. The sounds of casting drew my attention; I threw up a shield just in time to deflect a Fire Arrow spell. My apprentices stepped back, and I turned to face my opponent. A single mage, cloaked in black and green stood nonchalantly against the door post. He smiled and began to cast a spell.

I too began to initiate a spell, the words were blurring together, and I was barely behind the man in green. But barely counts for nothing. A green orb burst from his fingertips, and slammed into my chest. A Finger of Death. I felt cold spreading through my body, and suddenly my blood was burning…agony…I wanted to scream, but all the air on Toril wouldn't enable me to speak.

What seemed like an eternity later, I stood and brushed my robes shakily.

"That's the problem with death magic, most unreliable," After I said that, I finished the spell I had been casting. Bigby's Crushing Hand picked the man up and…glooped him. The man was an amateur, he'd let his spell protections drop.

"You, you don't seem to be aligned with Lehtinan, help us please, free us," A strong, accented voice came from a locked door.

"Stand back," I warned. Within a second, the doors was blown off its hinges.

"You," I said to the slaves "Are free to do whatever you wish,"

The gods themselves could have heard the cheers.


	5. Chapter 5: Sin and Ships

**AN: Thank you Blue-Inked Frost for your advice on Quayle's character, I am terrible at writing about action scenes so please be gentle with me!**

Hendak leant against the bar and smiled gratefully at me. Behind me, Quayle and Kalah collected money and items from the dead guards.

"Thank you for liberating us my friend, but there are more slavers in the city. They…they have children," I looked up and into his eyes.

"Children?" My voice was cool and soft to mask my bubbling fury.

"Yes, when my village was attacked, they took nearly all of the children. My little Karana…" He began to sob. I stood there as if uncertain as to what to do. Eventually, I walked out of the door and began to walk towards the Boat-House. My apprentices caught up with me, and together we walked up the flight of stairs to the entrance. A single slaver stood in front of it, I smashed him through the door and flung a fireball inside, before entering.

Dozens of slavers stood in the main room, several were mages, and had the same robes as the one in the Coronet. I smiled slightly.

"You will suffer, you will all suffer!" I bellowed, trying to imitate Irenicus' manner of speaking. I didn't bother waiting for their response. I incinerated the entire front row of the men, and the rest retreated, terrified of what I was going to do to them. I swept half a dozen aside and snapped their necks like twigs in midair, their mages were casting spells, but Quayle and Kalah had joined me now, and the little training I had given the gnomes was beginning to tell.

The mages were slain easily, their protections were weak and perhaps the man in the Coronet was their leader, or their master.

Two men were left, one was obviously the leader, his armor was ornate and he looked slightly intelligent, the other was a priest of Cyric.

"Release the children, and you shall have a painless death. Resist and your suffering shall shock even Loviatar," The leader was sweating, but the priest was unrelenting.

"Master Cyric promised us favor and power if we spread discord and chaos, 'tis our sacred duty, Banite!" The priest gibbered

"I'm guessing you plan to resist?" I asked.

The priest and leader exchanged glances. Together, they charged. They were quick; I barely had enough time to get off a magic missile spell. The priest's robe absorbed the spell, and I drew my sword. I truly hate close-combat fighting.

The leader, slashed at my head, my sword flicked into place, and his sword was held in place. He exerted some strength, and I was pushed off balance and his sword slashed through my robe, and dug into the soft flesh below my ribs. The pain invigorated me and I set fire to the man's armor. He ran away screaming, deeper into the building.

I turned around slowly, the priest of Cyric was holding his hammer aloft, and on the ground was Kalah. Quayle was on the ground with a nasty bruise on the temple. The priest was performing some sort of ritual and now he was preparing to strike. I launched myself at him, we connected and we flew across the room.

I stood up first, and landed several vicious kicks to his ribs before he managed to retaliate and gripped my leg. I lifted my short sword, and thrust violently down. The priest gurgled slightly, but let go of my leg.

I knelt by Quayle and performed a quick healing spell, I did the same to Kalah and my apprentices eventually regained consciousness. Quayle looked around sourly and then spat on the priest's corpse

"Pathetic weakling, you dared to touch me, apprentice to Shadak?" He prepared to spit again. My lips twitched, and I intervened.

"He's dead Quayle," His eyes turned to me, and he frowned slightly.

"Of course he's dead," He replied "A sword thrust to the neck will do that to you, even that simpleton Kalah could tell that," I rolled my eyes and helped Quayle to his feet, Kalah was already standing.

Whilst my apprentices searched the corpses, I delved deeper into the building. It was dark and dirty, not to mention dangerous with all the traps, but the thief training Imoen, Alora, and Safana had taught me, allowed me to escape unscathed. I reached a door, and opened it, inside were two huge trolls poised to attack a tiny girl.

I began to chant a spell, and three bears appeared, the trolls looked at the bears and then at the scrawny girl. They foolishly chose the bears.

My savage creatures roared and lumbered towards the stick-thin trolls. One of the bears stood on two legs, and grabbed a troll in a terrifying hug. The troll's bones were snapping, grinding, and breaking, and it's face was going blue, but still the bears kept squeezing. The troll…broke, and the bears moved on. Within several minutes, the trolls were dead and the girl freed.

I knelt down and looked into her grey eyes.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Jayni," She whispered, her entire body was bone thin, and she looked like she would collapse.

"Do you know a girl named Karana?" I replied, Jayni looked at me.

"One of the nasty men took her into a back room, I heard a lot of noises come from there a bit later,"

A cold feeling enveloped me, that piece of filth was _violating_ a girl, I stepped away from her and marched out of the door and further into the building. Eventually, a single door stood between me and my goal. A single word, and the door flew of its hinges and I marched through, to a disgusting sight. A man around fifty had his trousers around his legs and had a girl between his hips, she was about twelve.

I twirled my fingers, and the man was lifted from the girl, another flick, and he was castrated, the offending organ was ripped off. A healing spell cut off the blood flow and he screamed slightly belatedly.

"Your pain," I whispered "Will last an eternity,"


	6. Chapter 6: Pain and Thought

**AN: Short one, but the next one will be longer!**

I looked at all the children, and sighed slightly. It was odd, that I, slayer of Sarevok and murderer of priests, paladins and princes would have a soft spot for children. Quayle and Kalah were sleeping on the floor, their bodies were facing away from each other, and neither smiled in their sleep.

_Slit their throats, bathe in their blood and slake your thirst on the young_

The taint was persuasive, its words were crude, but hearing it all day was a strong influence.

When I was younger, it had driven me to excesses, slaughtering monsters for no reason or bedding a woman every night, even hiring whores when the pickings were slim. It had nearly controlled me. It had taken a close brush with death to break its hold on me. I had been slow in preventing the war, and the Council of Amn had ordered a legion to ravage Beregost and slay all within.

I had barely escaped, and then my quest finally knew urgency, Safana and I left our debauched lives and traveled to Baldur's Gate, where the fun truly began. The city was rich pickings, the nobles were weak and the Shadow Thieves weren't even active in the city.

Ripe for the plucking, on that day the White-Hand had been born. A crime Syndicate reaching from NeverWinter to Calimshan, none could escape it, and men in high positions took part in its activities or used its various activities for their illicit pleasures or personal gain.

Sarevok was a weak foe, his minions were weak and his plans were to say the least, poorly-imagined. In his way, he had proven he was a fine kobold-herder and he could disrupt small-scale mining operations, but asides from those meager accomplishments he was pathetic.

Only in the final battle had he acquitted himself well, not falling at my magical powers or even my Divine prayers, instead he had been slain by a dagger to the throat, that had ended our undignified squabble in his apartments.

A scream racked the building, but I had placed several spells about the rooms forbidding noise to enter, the children couldn't hear the Priest's screeches but I could, and I savored them. I naturally detested Cyric, he was evil and he never built or constructed only destroyed. He was insanity incarnate. Bane built at least, he was constructive and his dogma appealed to me highly.

Another scream. A smile broke across my lips, Quayle and Kalah were learning quickly, and practicing on a live specimen always brought better results in combat. I had learnt that from experience. The rapist would suffer for several more hours, then I would soak him in oil, set him on fire and kick him down into the sewers.


	7. Chapter 7: Siblings

_That night I dreamt of Gorion, not his death, my young mind had managed to completely repress that terrifying night, I dreamt of him laughing smiling at me as he told me a long-forgotten joke or the answer to some riddle now lost in the sands of time or locked away in my vaults of memory. _

_ The scene misted over and suddenly we stood on the steps of the Great Library, where there were normally flower beds there were now pits, and a red light shone on all things. On closer inspection the pits contained bodies, thousands of bodies, Imoen, Ulraunt, Tethtoril, and dozens of others from my childhood were on the top. _

_ "A portrait of what could be and what might be," Gorion's voice was young and sprightly, quite different from his normally dry voice but somewhere in the voice was a note of dark corruption. _

_ "How is this possible, who did this?" I heard the words issuing from my mouth but the words were not mine._

_ "Dreams always mean something," Gorion said as if he hadn't heard my question "Don't they?" A sword sprouted from his chest and blood ran from his mouth, he collapsed._

_ Imoen licked the sword blade and grinned at me, and then my own features replaced her own, and then reverted to Imoen's. _

"_This is your destiny bhaal-spawn, embrace it!" _

_ I fell to my knees and the sword blade pierced my throat. _

I awoke with a scream and nearly ripped Quayle in two when I saw him standing over me. His shocked expression and Kalah's reproachful glare told me, that I had been particularly vocal during my dream, but it was so real I shook myself awake and pushed Quayle away.

"Go practice your spells, till I come and instruct you in the school of death magic,"

For once, neither replied they merely bowed, although with some reluctance, I shuddered at the memory of my dream and instead focused on my prayer to Lord Bane. Within seconds, I nearly fainted from the feeling of Bane's presence, it was terrifying and my entire sight was wreathed in shadow.

**Chosen, it is good to hear from my servant.**

My lord's words were soft and commanding, truly a beautiful thing to hear but I could hear the malice that was present there, and it frightened me.

"My lord, I regret my lack of prayers in the past months, I shall repent should you wish it," I gulped slightly, Lord Bane was not known for his mercy, even to his Chosen.

**No, the mage that captured you is beyond your ability to combat, leave him for a while and focus on other matters.**

"What other matters my lord?"

**Taking over Amn.**

Bane sounded so sure, and so confident as if he hadn't mentioned the overthrowing of Faerun's most powerful nation by a single elf and two somewhat competent gnomes.

**It is possible, the entire rotten structure of Amn** **rests on the Cowled Wizards and the Shadow Thieves take them off the playing board and the entire government will come tumbling down. ** **It is my will that Amn will know me as its patron and soon all of Toril will know my wrath. You will do this Chosen.**

"How, my Lord?"

**In the Graveyard lies a possible ally, you will aid her in her endeavours, and she will bring the thieves and wizards crumbling down.**

"Your will be done my Lord."

**As it should be, your brother arrived in Athkatla this morning, he travels in the company of a ranger, a wizard and a paladin, dispose of them.**

"Yes Lord,"

I sat back in relief as Bane retreated to his own plane. My brother Felix was here? The ranger, wizard and paladin had to be Minsc, Dynaheir and Ajantis; all posed a threat to my Lord's will. I left my bedroom and moved about the ship, slowly fortifying it against attack both magical and otherwise.

It was much later, when I finally finished my inspection of the ship's defences and I had also fortified about half of the possible entries. I had much more work to do; killing my brother was at the top of my list.

The door of the Mithrest Inn banged open, every eye in the room turned to me, and I was framed in the doorway, a figure in forbidding robes, bearing an ornate staff and with a cowl covering my eyes. They were fixed upon a man sitting at the bar.

The man at the bar was perhaps the opposite of me, bearing beautiful gold and silver plate armor and a long-sword, with runes running down both sides.

"Brother," The single word drew a reaction from the man, who was now revealed to be an exceptionally tall elf; he spun around with a speed that was almost impossible. "Why are you here?"

"I was about to ask the same of you, Shadak" The name provoked fear amongst the patrons, Shadak master of the White-Hand and terror of the Sword-Coast, I smiled at their reactions.

"This is my city, leave," The elf shook his head and grinned at me.

"I shall never let anyone suffer at your hands again," He drew his sword, and gasps flooded the room.

"You shall suffer brother, your soul will feed the demons in the abyss," I sent a wall of dark green energy straight at Felix, his sword absorbed the energy with annoying ease and he charged me, I drew my sword and approached him a snarl on my lips.

I barely survived his first stroke, and he easily blocked my weak riposte. I swung again this time we locked blades and we came close enough for our faces to be nearly touching, I brought my knee into his armor and succeeded in bruising my knee and knocking him off balance.

This time, I spotted a weakness in his defence and thrust straight at his chest, leaving my body at full extension, his sword moved to block it, but it was far too late, my blade would pierce his armor and my dark blade would feed on his life force.

An orb of purple energy slammed into me, lifting me off my feet and hurtling me through the air. Dynaheir stood on the stairs, her eyes alight with fury, and it seemed she remembered me. I waved my hand and dozens of skeletons appeared, they charged Felix. I turned my attention to Dynaheir.

I ignored her attacks and focused on rebuilding my own shattered mental defences, just as I finished, I could feel the questing tendrils of Dynaheir's mind. I struck back and my mental spear broke through her somewhat-neglected walls. I ignored my chances to drive her insane, boil the blood in her veins or even to stop her heart, no I focused on her memory. In a split second I had looted her memory and had retreated to the confines of my own mind.

There were millions of interesting ones, and perhaps a hundred relevant ones, I flicked through them_: Felix rescuing her from the gnolls, slaying Mulahey, throwing Xan into a pond,their growing love for each other, their first night of love. _I stopped my mental inspection, if I had wished to watch sex, I would have worshipped Sune.

The skeletons were still holding Felix off, but by now Ajantis and Minsc had joined the fray, I had already made my plan, executing would be a piece of cake, it mostly depended on my mysterious ally.

"Farewell brother, I truly hope you die a painful death and your love for Dynaheir dies unfulfilled. This has been most enlightening," I chanted a teleportation spell, and I was free.


	8. Chapter 8: Noble Numbskulls

"I" I muttered as the rain poured down around us, most of it deflected by my shield spell. Around me, Quayle and Kalah were soaking wet, I had not felt it necessary to extend the spell to cover them as well. "Have been here before, back in Baldur's Gate, there was some dreadful drama I went to see. The Bloody Knife? Something like that, a nobleman went to a graveyard to meet a mysterious contact and found it to be the thing he hated most and chaos ensued," I chuckled "We're going to live the rest of the play,"

Kalah and Quayle were too busy to hear my musing as they were wrestling with one attempting to lie under the other and escape the torrential rainfall.

"Stop that!" I hissed at them "Show some dignity, you're wizards! Try casting the shield spell that I taught you," Normally, I wouldn't have cared about their behaviour, but I was worried about the contact getting spooked and turning tail.

Also, my fuse was extremely short after my battle with Felix, true, in my view I had won, but he was so infuriating. Imoen and Felix both had the uncanny ability to annoy me, and for sixteen years I had had to put up with their immature pranks and my nickname: Shaddy. Salvation had come when we had all been taken out of Candlekeep by Gorion but my elation hadn't lasted long.

Quayle and Kalah had stopped their undignified squabbling and instead were shooting each other dirty looks.

"Pity, I do like gnome-wrestling," A soft voice said in my ear, somewhat nasal but at the same time feathery and enchanting. I whirled around, and saw the speaker. A cloaked figure stood to my left.

"I take it you are my contact, my name is Shadak," I prepared to cast one of my fireballs, I had been in these situations before, and I would not be caught off guard.

"Who told you of me?" Her voice made me shiver, from pleasure or anticipation I knew not. I lifted my holy symbol and the woman took a step back. Something unholy or undead then.

"My lord Bane, fear him," The last two words were a mere formality something my dogma forced me to say on occasion, too melodramatic perhaps but rules are rules.

"On the contrary," The woman laughed, a soft husky sound "I am the one who should be feared,"

"That is heresy," I suddenly felt Bane's attention focus upon me; the word always seemed to draw his attention. Another laugh from the cloaked figure.

"That," She said "Is the truth," She slipped the cloak from her shoulders. Obviously, a woman was underneath, a very attractive and pale woman too.

"Quayle, Kalah, go back to the ship. I need to speak with the nice lady," Quayle muttered something and left, Kalah tripped him and ran before being jumped on by Quayle both tumbled to the ground and rolled around, a pathetic comedy.

"What is your offer?" I asked the woman "My lord led me to believe you could assist him in his goal,"

"Let us talk in a safer place, follow me to the crypts," I followed her shapely form into the graves.

It was several hours of walking in pitch black darkness and only my superior hearing allowed me to follow my contact. Eventually, we entered an antechamber and she lit a torch that threw light on her painfully beautiful face. I also saw her black eyes and porcelain skin.

"Vampire," I whispered, my skin crawled personally I had no "beef" with the scum but my weak elven spirit had managed to ingrain in me two things: my love of nature and my detestation of the undead.

"Correct," She smiled revealing beautiful white canines. She was working some form of mind-magic and I loved it! She was wearing what one would call a thin leather ribbon covering her most private parts, the ribbon was barely holding the upper regions in place, and I wondered how it would function in a fight.

"My loyalty to Bane is more important than my hatred for your kind leech! I wish to conquer Amn and you will help me," The woman smiled and flexed her lithe body; I forced a thin smile on my face and desperately attempted to look at her face.

"A modest ambition, my handsome wizard, I however require a donation to my cause if you wish my assistance,"

"What is that donation, something small I hope," Again she smiled, and I found myself grinning like a schoolboy, she was so beautiful and my pathetic Elven spirit was too weak. "I will require a tiny bonus, you" She smiled, and I could feel my mind clouding over as she leant for my throat her teeth were so long… "No," I whispered and pushed her away with a burst of magic and erected a shield around myself.

"Oh, it seems you have a spine after all," My contact smiled. I bowed to her.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Your first task is to slay Lord Farthson, a supporter of the Shadow Thieves, you will have to make it public and dramatic there is a ball in a month, strike then, in the meantime try to get yourself invited,"

Quayle, Kalah, and I watched as I moved into my new home in the Government, Quayle and Kalah would have to stay in the ship and continue to practise their spells whilst I insinuated myself into Athkatla's inbred and pox-ridden nobility.

"Will it be easy master?" Kalah asked me.

"Well," I said as I took a sip from my wine "It won't be easy, looks like I'll be spending several weeks in unimaginable luxury whilst you two rough it in the rotting ship,"

"My dear Moira," Lady Roenall said to her younger companion "Your neighbour is a most charming fellow,"

Moira sipped at her tea and attempted to hide her disgust from her "friend", the Roenalls' reputations were darker than their soldiers' black and red livery and Moira's moral compass was just as strong as her brother Anomen's.

"Really, I haven't met him yet. Although, I do know he is a mage," Both ladies shared a gasp of amazement, wizards were rare in Amn.

"Well, Maria Firecam told me is very eligible and also he's…" Lady Roenall paused for dramatic effect and Moira, to her disgust found herself leaning closer. "An Elf!" Moira sat back and gasped with astonishment. Elves were so exotic, the stories they could tell of their forest cities their culture and their beautiful language, and it boggled the mind.

"Lady Delcia has already called upon him, twice! Nalia went with her of course and she seems to be quite smitten with the man, who wouldn't be! The man is a wonder. I must speak with Lord Farthson and discover whether Shadak has been invited to the ball," Moira went cold with fear.

"Isn't Shadak the slayer of Sarevok and a murderer," She whispered. Lady Roenall snorted and laid a hand on the other woman's shoulder.

"Shadak tells me, that his name is somewhat common amongst the elves and he wishes that he didn't have the same name as the psychotic murdering Shadak of Baldur's Gate," She giggled and leant back against the arm chair "Oh, my dear Moira, what could possibly happen?"


	9. Chapter 9 pt 1:Parties and Pandemonium

The coaches of the nobles were beautiful, made of polished wood and adorned with silver and gold. Dozens of guards in the imperial colours of purple and blood red stood at attention along the stairs that lead into Lord Farthson's gigantic mansion.

My carriage finally halted and a footman opened the door and I stepped out, I wore a beautiful set of robes in the traditional elven colours of gold and green they were worth ten years wages to the footman.

I showed my invitation to the guards at the entrance and they bowed to me before stepping aside and allowing me to enter the grand ball. More than one hundred nobles and their families were here, the room was cramped and the only open space was the dancing floor, where I had no attention of going.

"Oh, Shadak. So good of you to come," Lady Roenall, flanked by a woman with greying hair and a much younger woman who watched me with open curiosity "This is Maria Firecam, and Moira Delryn, do you know the Delryns? Her brother Anomen is just over there, speaking with the tall knight,"

I caught sight of a tall young man with a goatee, he was the same man my apprentice had been arguing with in the Copper Coronet, and Bane knows what he was doing there. The man he was speaking with caught my attention. He was a tall and greying man with a face that a cynic would have described as "brutally attacked by a vicious garden rake".

His hair and beard were both gun-metal grey, and his armor was shining, in truth he reminded me of an aging lion, something that was once much more dangerous, but now he was declining. However even the old could be dangerous, Gorion had taught me that. The orchestra was playing beautifully, some classical piece that a genius written before even Gorion was born.

I directed my eyes about the large room, there were guards at every door and I could see magical wards glimmering on the windows, amongst the crowd there was a sharp contrast between the foppish nobles and their grim knight counterparts, perhaps the knights had only been invited to provide security.

My host and target had yet to appear and I contented myself with drifting through the party, dropping a witty remark here and there, watching and evaluating the defences. I doubted any of the guards could pose a threat to me but en masse, maybe they might be able to overwhelm me. The wards on the windows were of middling strength but they would still take several minutes of hard work to break, Farthson was a cautious man.

Suddenly, my heart stopped there at the centre of the party with Dynaheir on his arm was Felix. He had dressed sensibly in a very elegant suit and his rune-sword hung on his belt. He was laughing at a remark, and I turned away hoping he hadn't seen me, the laughter continued.

Finally, with a blast of trumpets and a smattering of applause, Farthson arrived. He was a short ugly man with a somewhat rat-like face.

"My lords and Ladies," He began "Tonight, we honour the presence of a great hero and an important citizen," He was forcing the words through clenched teeth "Of our friendly ally the city of Baldur's Gate: Felix, the hero of the sword coast," Felix ignored him and continued to speak, his companions hanging on his every word.

Finally, Farthson finished his forced speech and descended into the crowd, I followed him. A plan sprung into my mind and I excused myself from my small group of admirers and walked up the stairs that Farthson had just come down by, I cast a quick spell and my robes changed into the purest black.

I walked to the edge of the balcony overlooking the ball room and I threw a fireball into the air above the revellers to attract their attention.

"Nobles, I servant of Bane promise you terror the likes of which you cannot hope to imagine," I paused and saw Lord Firecam and several knights pushing through the crowd to try to get to me. I continued "Your decadent time is over and the empire of Bane shall become ascendant and you will weep tears of blood as your cities crumble and your children cry out for salvation, this I promise!"

I sent dozens of magic missiles into the crowd and I teleported back into the centre of the ballroom, thankfully such pandemonium reigned that nobody noticed my appearance.

"By the gods, it's him," I screamed in an imitation of a woman as I pointed at Felix. The paladins were becoming confused, and I walked slowly towards Farthson. I stopped behind him and drew a dagger. I thrust it into the back of his neck and cut the cord that connected his brain to his spine, death was instantaneous.

Farthson crumpled and I prepared to escape from the awesome chaos that was once an orderly party. Suddenly, Lord Firecam materialized in my line of sight and swung his two-handed sword in a blow that would have whispered through me as if I were paper. I jumped back and drew my sword; he recovered from his miss and stepped into a well-practiced defensive stance.

I chopped at his head, but he moved an armoured gauntlet into my swords path and my enchanted blade was sent flying away. I was breathing heavily and fatigue clouded my vision, teleportation spells and combat are never a good mix. I crouched, ready to spring in any direction should Firecam so much as move.

I withdrew my final weapon, my staff, a weapon brisling with magical defences and enhancements; it was easily a match for my foe's God-given blade. I aimed at his left knee, and he blocked it with annoying ease and forced me back. We locked hilts after another bone-smashing blow, and I could feel tendrils of energy leaping from his blade and armour, I leeched off them as a louse does peasants.

I transformed the raw energy into a massive concussion of energy that flattened every man within a hundred feet. I roared with fury

"Are you so vain as to think you could best me? Shadak the slayer of Sarevok and terror of Baldur's Gate! Fools!" I swept an arm like some eastern emperor, and the paladins running at me flew back, screaming in pain and shock. Lord Firecam was still on the ground, and only Anomen and Felix were still in any condition to fight.

Anomen was the first forward, his clumsy blow with his war-hammer was intercepted by my staff and I swept his feet out from under him with ease. My foot stamped on his stomach and I turned to face Felix, taking the opportunity to retrieve my sword.

Felix stood loose and at ease with his beautiful rune-sword, practically vibrating with energy. I bowed mockingly to him and he nodded in return. He moved with blistering speed and his first blow was only deflected by one of my spells moving into place. His sword dispelled the protection and his sword continued towards my forehead.

My hand reached out and caught his wrist, and his blade stopped centimetres from my forehead, we both exerted every ounce of our strength but slowly and surely the blade was moving towards me. I muttered a strength spell under my breath and I exerted a tenth of my newfound strength and the blade stopped, I began to win the war for the blade. My knee was brought viciously into his chest and then his groin, before I pushed him away and hit him with a hold-person spell. I then began to cast a spell that I truly hoped would work.

Darkest Venom, a gift from Bane after my first victory in his name began to form around my hands and feed itself into Felix and slowly he began to wither, the process would take another minute to complete. Again, Felix was saved.

A massive explosion of energy ripped through my spell protections and Dynaheir finally entered the combat. I turned to face her. Her first spell was a finger of death, and I dispelled it before it could cover half the distance between us. She paused to consider her next move, a wizard's duel is sometimes like a chess-game, strategy beats brute force very time.

I made the next move and my newly summoned demon stepped into Toril and into my foes' nightmares. Felix had by now recovered and Firecam was limping but Anomen remained still, all together they tackled the monster. I used the moment to escape with a pre-prepared shadow-door. Victory was once again mine, and yet my brother still lived, most annoying.


	10. Chapter 9 pt 2: Afterparty Thoughts

**AN: Ok, first of all, thank you Blue-Inked Frost for continuing to follow my story, despite all my pathetic twists and grammatical errors. As for the rest of you, please, please, please review, look, reviews make me work faster so…more reviews=more chapters! This is a very short chapter, the heat is affecting my writing skills so…..be nice! **

Felix surveyed the destruction his brother had left behind and sighed slightly, nobody had died, but his new doublet was irreparably damaged. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of Dynaheir chanting the spells necessary to rid the marble floor of Farthson's blood.

Lord Firecam, who had introduced himself as Sir Keldorn, was patching up the obnoxious and hot-headed squire, who'd had the living day-lights beaten out of him by Shadak. The guards who had fled with the guests when Shadak had revealed himself had now returned sheepishly, mumbling excuses and generally irritating the paladins and Felix.

"Who was the man that attacked us?" Keldorn's deep and hard voice jerked Felix from his thoughts.

"He made his title clear in his childish exposition, my guess is he is somebody who has watched one too many plays," Felix lied, telling a paladin he was related to a murdering psychopath was not good for one's health.

"Somehow, I do not find this amusing. Odd, that after this man assassinated Farthson; he turned on you and attempted to give you the same treatment. What is it you are not telling me?"

Felix was about to open his mouth to begin to explain his predicament, when several grey-clad figures appeared in the doorway, all had staffs.

"Paladin, this is now a scene of investigation by the Cowled Wizards relating to the murder of Lord Farthson and the use of Unlicensed Magic, please leave,"

"Where were you during the attack?" Felix interposed himself between the two men.

"There was a disturbance elsewhere, and do not think to address me in that tone…" The Cowled Wizard broke off his threat and left suddenly, as one of his comrade called to him.

Keldorn shot the wizard a dirty look and turned away from Felix.

"Odd, A wizard slays his target, not with sorcery but with a dagger. A very strange case wouldn't you say?"

Felix made a noncommittal grunt and stared at the retreating wizard's back, nearly all wizards annoyed Felix, only Gorion and Dynaheir were an exception to his rule, Shadak had not done much to help his brother's phobia.

"Dark times are on the horizon I fear," Felix said.


End file.
